No Words
by R3tr0c4t
Summary: "You know…" Chat broke the silence. He was perched above an unsuspecting Parisian's roof with one arm and leg hanging lazily in the breeze. Ladybug glanced his way and couldn't help picturing the famous Cheshire cat, with his splayed-out form coupled with that toothsome grin. You know meant he had been pondering on something she really didn't want to discuss.


**No words**

"You know…" Chat broke the silence. He was perched above an unsuspecting Parisian's roof with one arm and leg hanging lazily in the breeze. Ladybug glanced his way and couldn't help picturing the famous Cheshire cat, with his splayed-out form coupled with that toothsome grin.

 _You know_ meant he had been pondering on something she really didn't want to discuss.

"Maybe you can help me with a problem I have?" The vague nature of his language confirmed her worries as true. Moving only his eyes, he found hers and smiled, anything more seemed too much effort for him. It was understandable, they had been patrolling most of Friday night and judging from the pink and orange hues painted across the sky, Saturday morning and breakfast was on its way. Chat waited patiently for a reply, eager to not appear too desperate for an answer, the only tell being his flattening ears.

"What problem, Chat?" Ladybug braced herself for a complex pun filled answer. Her partner sat up and dropped from his ledge to sit next to her, purposefully leaving space for one more in between. Barely covering a yawn behind a paw, Chat slumped his shoulders, hands occupied with fidgeting.

"I've been thinking." Chat began, one hand instinctively retreating behind his head as if to massage his brain and convince it to relax.

"Oh no, you've been thinking!" Ladybug feigned shock and horror. It produced a small smile from him though hardly genuine.

"Very funny but, I've been thinking a lot and I'm struggling to keep these thoughts to myself." Ladybug offered a quizzical look; Chat's demeanour was often the spitting image of poster worthy enthusiasm. Tonight however, he had been hanging his head like he had been caught scratching furniture. Again.

Ladybug gently placed a well-intentioned hand on his shoulder, surprised the moved caused him to flinch but not retreat from her touch. She dared to turn his face to hers and saw a glossy sheen of withheld sorrow in his eyes. Chat turned to the quiet road beneath them staring into the void, struggling to find the best words to say.

"Chaton, what have you been thinking about?" Her voice was so quiet she wondered if it was heard at all. Cats ears however could hear a lot and Chat's face fell further upon hearing the fear in her question. The brief pause between them felt like an eternity.

"You know who the others are."

"Others?"

"The others. Rena, Carapace, Bee we both know but that doesn't count." Chat's chuckle was empty of any real feeling. Ladybug felt a sickening twist in her stomach. She knew exactly where he was going with this trail of thought. "You chose them, you know their real identities. Who they are as people, not just the virtue they represent." She hesitated, this had only been brought up as passing snarky remarks. It was very obvious to her now that this was hurting him.

"And you want to know too?" The quiver in her voice surprised her as she spoke.

"No. No, that's not it." Chat shook his head, sounding more frustrated than he wanted to suggest. Again, he sunk into deep thought.

"You want to know who I am. Chat, you know I can't…" Chat deftly caressed her cheek, thumb over ever so gently pressing her lips closed. A pained smile pleaded she not lecture him again.

"No, Bugaboo. I know where you stand with your identity and as much as I would want to know and…care about the amazing girl underneath, I won't force anything." Her cheek released and now burning red in a fierce blush, Ladybug failed to make any words happen, merely a flustered hum of _I don't know what to say._ Her reaction was enjoyable to watch, even if it would go no further. "Milady, I want you to know who _I_ am. My true self."

"Chat…"

"I can't help myself, Bugaboo! I can't keep just being Chat Noir to you. It feels wrong that I can't be completely honest to one of my dearest friends." His wavering words cut her heart deep, those pretty emerald eyes so full of anguish and threatening to spill at any moment. She couldn't look at him directly.

"Chat, you know what I was told."

"I know, but does that logic hold up when you know everybody else? I'm begging you, Ladybug. Let me be myself to you. I want to enjoy the freedom of being your partner solving crime in full and for you to know the boy you put so much trust in, to know the boy that makes Chat Noir who he is. Please." That last word was strained, Chat unable to keep himself composed finally let the tears fall hot over his mask, little droplets highlighted by light trickling down his suit.

Ladybug panicked. Seeing him cry so erratically into his paws was heart-breaking. So painful that she felt her own eyes betray her and start to stream tears. She held him close despite his protests, cheek to cheek in a shaking embrace. That was all her heart told her to do. It was all she could think to do given the severity of his anguish.

Chat sobbed into her ear, raspy breaths braking up what should be complete sentences. "I want to stay with you always, Bugaboo. I'm trapped outside of Chat Noir. I can't be happy in that gilded cage called life!" Chat breathed hard and slow, in a last attempt to calm himself down. This was too much baggage for her to handle and he knew it. He was merely portioning the pain onto her, she never deserved this. How could he do that to her. Too late to retract, but he could still apologise. "I'm sorry, Milady. That was a little…dramatic. I'm…I've not been well with life's pressures of late. Too much pressure put on me." He half forced a chuckle. "I know it's hard to imagine when the comparison is saving Paris every other week."

Chat preened himself, removing Ladybugs embrace and preening his face with identical dedication to the fussiest of cats. Though his eyes were reddened it became difficult to tell he had been crying at all. Only the strain in his voice gave it away.

They sat in silence as he groomed, Ladybug watching both in awe for his impeccable hygiene and a loss for any words of comfort. Eventually, she decided that simple is sometimes best.

"Chaton." Chat turned immediately to his pet name, eyeing his partner cautiously. She took his grooming paw in her hand. "Chaton, I had no idea. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." He sniffed, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "You don't know what my life is like."

"Perhaps not but…you sound kinda like someone I know going through similar feelings. Someone who doesn't seem to have as much free will as his peers."

"That guy has it rough." Chat released her hand, using both to prop himself up as he watched the sky turn from lilac to pastel blue. Ladybug hummed in agreement.

"Yeah, I treasure any time we can spend together since it's so rare and often interrupted." Ladybug's face dropped in a very pronounced frown. Chat mirrored her frown, partly in curiosity.

"Wow, and he hasn't asked you out or anything? Guy must be dense." Chat concluded rather abruptly. Ladybug muffled a giggle behind her hand.

"Yeah, he can be. It's endearing how oblivious he can be but kinda frustrating too. Kinda my fault too with how shy I am." Chat's ears twitched hearing the warmth in her voice to speak of this guy. Clearly someone she cared for as more than a friend. It was how he spoke to Plagg about her after all. His heart imploded.

"You should ask _him_ out." This statement obviously panicked her, he could hear her heartbeat thrumming like a war drum in her chest. Her eyes alone would suggest fear, wide and wild and already planning a route to escape this conversation.

"No! I mean, no, why would he like me in that _notice me senpai_ way anyway? I'm nobody important outside this suit. I'm not even in his league. He's a solid 10/10 and I'm…not that."

"Okay, first of all, nice anime reference. Second of all, utter nonsense, Milady. If you could be half as brave as Ladybug outside of the suit, you'll have him suckered instantly. Remember you are what makes Ladybug awesome." Chat rubbed his chin momentarily; a suspicious grin decorated his face. "If he's really as oblivious as you say, you need to make your feelings very clear. Spell it out, use small words if that helps."

"Spell it out? Small words? He's oblivious, not dumb. What are you getting at?"

"Use cue cards or roses…or a romantic pick up line!"

"Chat…" Ladybug's insistent tone wasn't being heard by the pondering pussycat.

"I know, give him this." Chat felt his pockets for a small trinket he'd been holding onto a while. A chubby chibi plushie of himself, a toy one could find in the majority of toy stores nowadays much to their embarrassment. "Before you get snarky at me no, I'm not a narcissist and yes I have a spare and the rest. Carapace, Rena, Bee and you. I-I bought this one for you." He swallowed anxiously, eyes flitted away from her surprised blush. "It has a small pouch in the belly for my baton and maybe…a private message?" Ladybug investigated the pouch and found the surprisingly well replicated stick he used but no message. She looked to him confused. "No words could ever capture how much I love you." Ladybug reeled, a squeak of shock escaping her lips quickly smothered by her clumsy hands. "It's…a good message. Clear as day, which it's now quickly becoming." He smiled warmly, trying his best not to look so defeated.

Ladybug slowly nodded in agreement, tears threatening to flood her eyes again.

"Chat, thank you."

"Anything for my partner." Chat took the time to give her one last smile. It would be a while before he could do it honestly and with genuine happiness.

"Do you…" Ladybug fidgeted with her earring. "Do you still feel like knowing?" Chat declined, preparing to leave.

"Nah, maybe some other day but…I need time to think."

"Is that a good idea?" Ladybug knew that too much time to think often led to more bad thoughts.

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way I don't have much time." He pointed to the last little bean on his ring's paw icon. "Milady, 'til we meet again and…good luck." Chat scarpered faster than she should blink, vanished in the shadows cast by the neighbouring buildings. She looked back to the tiny Chat in her hands, thumbing the ears in contemplation. If she didn't have the courage to do this herself despite her heroine persona, then she would use Chat's faith in her. Because at least if all went horribly wrong, it would be a funny story to tell him. Eventually.

Monday rolled around and with it the groans and moans of students shambling to class. Marinette, much to the concern of her fulltime wing girl Alya, was even more eccentric than usual, more clumsy than usual. More _everything_ than usual. She noted a small bulge of…something she guarded in her pocket. Alya could not fathom what it could be. Her friend was always making trinkets and the like but to hide it was most unusual.

"Are you okay?" Alya regretfully asked. Marinette's head stuttered around to acknowledge Alya's existence, one eye twitching in…Alya wasn't sure what.

"Yes, I'm fine." She stammered a little too loud. "I just had like, 2 or 3 coffees this morning."

"You hate coffee." Alya shuffled in place, in two minds about backing away slowly.

"I do. Hate it but need it. Today's the day. Need confidence."

"Coffee doesn't do confidence and am I missing a birthday?" Marinette shook her head erratically.

"I didn't know that, I don't drink it! Oh well!" Marinette laughed a panicked cackle that interrupted other student's conversations around her, most of which stopped to marvel at the shuddering mess that was Marinette. Alya was shown the small Chat Noir toy away from prying eyes, a small and neatly folded piece of paper sticking out from the pouch. Alya made to take the toy only for her twitchy friend to stuff it back in her pocket, almost with a hiss.

"A Chat Noir toy…was it a gift from the cat himself?" Alya's sarcasm didn't go unnoticed even in the caffeine high. Frowning disapprovingly, Marinette nodded to confirm.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Chat gave me some advice with uh, boys." Marinette as of yet hadn't realised how stupid that sounded.

"Wow, you enlisted the help of Chat Noir for the Adrien Crusade?"

"Don't call them crusades! We all know how those went. Chat and I hang out sometimes on my balcony and I don't know, it just came up." She felt for the toy, squeezing it and remembering that emotional night. She hadn't seen him since then. Alya noticed the deflated look, mistaking it for backing out of her plan and picked her chin up.

"Hey, girl. If chat put you up to this, maybe it'll work. He is male after all and kinda knows how to flirt…kinda." Alya shrugged. "We can but try and I hope you've remembered to sign it this time."

"I will and I have." Determination in her voice and stance, Marinette struggled up the stairs to the locker rooms where Adrien would likely be before classes. Alya followed a few paces behind, giving curious classmates a knowing thumbs up and pointed to her girl. Marinette heard the whisperings of her classmates but had committed to this now and mustered chat's faith and confidence in her to carry her legs that felt like stone columns.

If Marinette was in a videogame, then she had hit the final boss and had no lives left. Adrien had trailed in behind Nino, feet dragging as he slumped into his locker as though Narnia was at the other side. He looked tired. Perhaps his father had him doing more than the usual slog? His movement to sitting on one of the benches had the grace of a lumbering giant. Alya whispered to Marinette from behind the door. "Adrien looks wiped out, you sure now?"

Marinette nodded, firm in her resolve. Eyeing the many classmates behind Alya to move along and ushering Nino to go with Alya, Marinette closed the door on all of them leaving the two teens alone. Adrien didn't even notice Nino leaving, his attention was on the floor and possible something interesting in his mind she couldn't fathom.

She tapped his shoulder lightly which jolted him awake and alarmed, he only relaxed when he saw that it was Marinette and remembered where he was. Alya, who was debating with herself whether or not to record this was shocked that her friend had even gotten this far, let alone touched him without freaking out. Some of her classmates were placing light-hearted bets through social apps. Even Chloe had placed a success bet adding that _Adrien hurry up and figure it out_ in typical Chloe style. One last look at the two and she returned to class. This was hopefully a happy moment for just them.

"Could I talk to you?" She began, taking care to remain as calm as she possibly could, which wasn't very.

"Sure Marinette, but we have class soon." Adrien tried his best to sound upbeat and chipper. Today he didn't have the strength.

"I promise this won't take long. It's important." Her pleading eyes outweighed his desire to lie in a ditch. He agreed with a careless nod and scooted over to allow her to sit. Instead of join him, Marinette paced awkwardly up left and right, which had him wondering if it was something serious he wasn't aware of.

"Marinette." The sound of her name spoken quite sternly startled her. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? No, not wrong. Just…difficult. Difficult, yes. Because I-oh, is it hot all of a sudden? It feels hot. I'm hot. No! I mean you're hot-no! Uh…" Adrien watched her slump to the floor against his locker, head in her hands from embarrassment. The loudness of her voice startled him at least somewhat awake.

"Marinette, are you okay? Talk to me." Offering his hand and her hesitantly taking it, he only let go once he was sure that her quivering legs were adequately holding her up. Her body looked as though it wanted to fold in on itself. His friend stared at the floor and sighed.

"Adrien, whatever you do…just please…don't stop being my friend." Thrusting something into his chest, Marinette fled to goodness knows where. It was unclear to him whether the words or the waver in her voice shocked him more. Now alone in this locker room, Adrien stared at the door she left half open, unsure if he had the willpower to go through his day.

A familiar little ruffle in his shirt peered outside his pocket estate looking up at his charge staring at the door, then down to what was in his hands. Plagg chuckled to himself.

"Well, looks like the cat is outta the bag! Don't I make you look so handsomely cute? Looks like your good side is _my_ side." Adrien glanced to Plagg who smugly pointed down and then to his hands immediately dropping the toy like he had unwittingly acquired the world's hottest potato, falling over the benches backwards and somehow under them. The pain of that extreme yoga bend hadn't seemed to hinder his scrambling underneath to retrieve the tiny Chat. Hurried and fumbling fingers pinched at what could be a life changing moment on sweet fragranced parchment, a joyous moment to be alive.

"Woah Adrien. It's not that expensive. I've seen loadsa them. I make you quite the celebrity." Plagg returned to his camembert cave upon the realisation that Adrien wasn't listening the one word. "Well, I'll hear about it later I guess. Unlike all the angst it may be actually be entertaining."

Managing to pry the note free, she must have glued it he thought, he held it with quivering hands anxious to see if this wasn't just coincidence. After all, these gifts were commonplace in the valentine's department due to Chat's flirtatious nature. Carefully splitting the note open with his thumb, Adrien read it and felt his heart swell three times it's size. Upon reading this simple little note, he knew.

 _No words could ever capture how much I love you._

Slumped under a bench and rolling onto his back, Adrien squealed in high school girl delight, hands giddily flailing along with his voice. He only slightly cared if someone heard it or saw him in the unusual position. He ran so very quickly back to class with note in hand and toy in pocket, drifting on his soles around corners in a feigned belief that doing that would save precious seconds away from her.

Slamming the door open with reckless abandon and scanning the room with his manic grin acting as a spotlight for gorgeous blue eyes, Adrien looked to where Marinette should be. "Alya, where's Marinette?" Alya pointed beside her and down. A few seconds observation and he understood that his love was hiding under the desk. He could see it rattling. "Marineeeette?" He sang, creeping up the stairs with classmates observing with anticipation.

Peering over her desk he spied his lady, her head tucked between her knees much like in the locker room. "Marinette?" his whisper softly goading her to at least squeak in acknowledgment. A warm hand took her chin and guided their gaze to meet, his smile even broader when he saw the lightbulbs realisation in her eyes that she wasn't being denied. Daring to lean in with his lips seductively close to her ear, he whispered a simple sweet nothing. "You didn't have to copy my line word for word, milady." He let that sink in. The tiny gasp let him know he was heard. His love stared at him in utter disbelief, eyes frantically and ashamedly scanning for all the evidence that pointed to him being her Chaton. His eyes, the knowing in his eyes! It was there, all the precious moments they spent together, the challenges, the strong bond they had. How could either of them be so blind? If only she had really looked, really took in everything. Maybe so much time wouldn't have been wasted in hiding from her feelings.

Both chuckled through pink blushes, unsure of what to do next. Alya kindly nudged her friend into one of the most passionate hugs she could receive, from under a desk at least. They shared this embrace for what felt like not long enough and just marvelled each other in a whole new light. Nino grasped Adrien's attention briefly, waving his arms wildly before making the face of what he assumed was a fish or an allergic reaction. The blonde responded with visible confusion. Alya made it simpler by giving Nino a kiss on the lips. "Oh, right!" Adrien nervously agreed.

With no idea how to do it and grasping at all of the romance scenes in movies he's watched, Adrien stood up with his lady and gave a clumsy, awkward but to everyone in the room, the most adorable kiss. Small, light and lingering. Marinette's face was about 80% red by this point and he felt like his heart couldn't take much more happiness else he was going to die of it. Slumping back into her seat, she noticed her friend was missing, Alya shifting sneakily into Nino's spot and he into Adrien's.

Marinette shuffled to let Adrien in, his Chat side showing more and more with his devious grin and growing confidence. They were stuck at the hip, and this was to be the rest of the lesson for them. Stupidly grinning at each other and awkwardly touching, they wouldn't have been able to recall any of the actual lesson. Was it a math lesson? Geography? Who cares?

Only each other mattered that day. The blissful feeling of love resonating in their hearts overwrote the trouble they were going to be in once Master Fu found out. They smiled so much that day that their cheeks were starting to hurt and their hands slick with sweat from hold each other's too long. Adrien had even insisted on taking her home via his usual carpool just to spend that little longer with her. At his request, the car was parked out of view whilst he walked her the last block home and when he got her to the door he kissed and kissed again, never sated with the love she gave.

"Marinette, I really am dense. I don't take any of that stuff I unwittingly said about me back. I should have known. You're the wonderful girl of my dreams with that big heart and compassionate soul. Marinette, I love you."

"Chaton, we were both dense." She giggled under more peppered kisses across her neck. "And…I love you too. So, so much." She pulled his head down for one last deeper and less clumsy kiss. "And I'm glad you're my Chaton, because my eyes were starting to linger on that skin-tight suit." Adrien choked on his breath as his Bugaboo pulled away, a dumb smile on both their faces.

"Glad it wasn't just me." A rather shy admittance from him.

"See you later, Chaton?" She jerked her head towards her balcony and winked, savouring that the panicked flusters had been reversed for a change. Her sunshine boy knew what she meant and his blush deepened as his legs weakened.

"F-For you, Milady." He gave one last kiss, eyes promising more to come. "Anything."


End file.
